1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to vehicles and systems for collecting and removing trash in commercial and residential community settings and more particularly to a system and trash receptacle for intermittently compacting trash deposited within the trash receptacle to reduce the frequency of trash receptacle emptying required.
2. Description of Related Art
In commercial and residential community settings, large receptacles or bins are provided at strategic locations for individual depositing of trash into one or more trash receptacles. One or more lids are typically pivotally openable for trash to be deposited into the receptacle and periodically, a large waste collection vehicle is scheduled to visit each of the trash receptacles and by interengagement with large forwardly extending forks, temporary engagement with each trash receptacle to lift it and invert it over the open top of the truck cargo bed of the vehicle to empty trash from the trash receptacle and then to replace it on the ground for continued use.
The trash pick up service for this routine scheduled emptying of the trash receptacles constitutes a significant expenditure for the commercial establishment or residential community and is typically billed on a per-visit basis. However, many times these trash receptacles are less than full and the emptying schedule is excessive in that the trash receptacles could easily be filled with additional trash before emptying occurs.
Moreover, trash which is typically loosely thrown into these trash receptacles accelerates the appearance of trash receptacle fullness whereas, if somehow compacted or otherwise reduced in overall volume, the trash receptacle could easily handle significantly increased amounts of compacted trash before the receptacle would be required to be emptied.
A number of prior art vehicles, systems and receptacles are known in prior art which attempt to address this issue of increasing the efficiency and cost of trash removal as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,967 to Mettetal, Jr. discloses a mobile apparatus for compacting refused. It is the primary object of the '967 patent to provide a mobile refuse compacting vehicle for compacting refused contained in separately located receptacles which will extend the time interval between the unloading of such receptacles. LaBarbera teaches a mobile trash pulverizer in U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,535. As is shown in FIG. 1, the self-propelled vehicle pulls up to an open top container and, using a pivoting arm with a heavy pulverizing roller, compacts the trash contained therein.
A device for compacting waste in containers is disclosed in newly-issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,500 to Soler as shown in FIG. 3. The Soler device teaches a vehicle having a platform, handling arm, compactor roller and support frame. A transportable recyclable materials densifier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,343 to Taylor. The system of the '343 patent uses an integral conveyor, separator and compacting chamber.
Shinjo, et al. teach a solid substance crushing vehicle which is able to move to a collection center in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,626 and a waste recycling processing vehicle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,652 to Warsing, et al.
A compactor comprising a rotating auger for breaking waste material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,201 to Fenner, et al. and Faccia teaches a combined shredding and mixing truck in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,465,914 and 6,983,902.
Waste compaction apparatus with a screw conveyor for waste material compacting is taught by Hamilton in U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,662 and the method and apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,505.550. The front page of a refuse collecting and disposal handling vehicle teaching two vehicles working in tandem is taught by Talamantez in U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,625.
The present disclosure teaches a unique system and trash receptacle as a separate service offering for compacting trash deposited within the trash receptacle periodically in between times of trash removal by a commercial trash collection operation. A compaction vehicle periodically visits each trash receptacle in the system to operate a power unit which effects compaction of the trash collected within the trash receptacle and, at a point when the operator of the compaction vehicle determines that the compacted trash has adequately filled the receptacle, a radio signal is activated to advise the waste collection company that the trash receptacle is ready for emptying.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.